The Foreign Office has urged Britons in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada to heed
the advice of local police and remain within the grounds of their hotel.

It updated its website yesterday following violent clashes in the city, which resulted in the death of at least one man, but stopped short of advising against travel to the popular seaside destination.

It warns that holidaymakers should “avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings. If you become aware of any nearby protests, leave the area immediately.”

While violent protests have affected most of Egypt in recent months, culminating in a month-long state of emergency being declared this week, the Red Sea resorts had remained largely immune.

But with a curfew now affecting package holiday destinations like Sharm El Sheikh, Taba and Dahab, and holiday companies opting to cancel daily excursions (Kuoni has postponed all outings for the next month), tour operators could face pressure to adopt a more flexible approach towards clients due to travel in the coming weeks.

Visitors to the Red Sea are unable to leave their hotel between 1900 and 0600 local time, many are being told they cannot go on diving or snorkelling trips, and visits to attractions like St Catherine’s Monastery are also on hold.

Some have expressed concern about upcoming holidays in the region on a number of online forums. However, as the Foreign Office has not advised against travel to the Red Sea, anyone who wants to cancel or rearrange their trip cannot do so free of charge. Both Thomas Cook and Thomson have confirmed that “normal booking conditions apply”.

"The Foreign Office is not currently advising British nationals to leave the country and the advice has not changed for Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, Taba and Marsa Alam," Thomson added. "The majority of our customers are in Sharm El Sheikh which is a considerable distance - indeed, an eight-hour drive - from Cairo. There have been no related incidents in Sharm El Sheikh or any of the other popular Red Sea tourist areas."

A spokesman for Thomas Cook said: "Our experienced teams on the ground assure us that no tourist areas at the Red Sea have been affected by the recent demonstrations, bar an evening curfew that was introduced last night (August 14) and observed. They are fully operational and holidaymakers are continuing to enjoy the popular resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada."

There are thought to be around 40,000 Britons currently on holiday in the Red Sea resorts.